ELY – Two new Ely Police Department officers were sworn in at the city council meeting this week, and another member of the department was honored for recent life-saving efforts.
Police Chief Chad Houde welcomed assistant chief Mike Lorenz and Police Officer Zachary Ward to the department. Mayor Roger Skraba read the oath of office to the two new employees at the beginning of the meeting Tuesday night, with their families and other police officers in attendance.
Lorenz grew up in Hibbing and comes from a law enforcement family. After graduating from Hibbing High School, he attended Hibbing Community College and earned a law enforcement degree. He worked for the city of Chisholm and city of Eveleth before joining the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, where he served for the past decade. “His primary duty station was in the Ely office and he is very familiar with our area and our department,” Houde said.
“Mike is an avid outdoorsman, and when he’s not working he is often seen on the lake fishing and spending time with his family. He is looking forward to using the 15 years of his law enforcement knowledge and experience with our police department,” Houde said.
Ward grew up in southern Minnesota and attended Vermilion Community College, majoring in Wildland/Wildlife Law Enforcement and graduating in 2019.
“Zach was drawn to Ely for its endless recreational activities and is also an avid outdoorsman,” Houde said. “He enjoys hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and golfing. Zach wanted to return to Ely ever since he graduated from VCC and is excited to be working in our community.”
Following the oath of office, the two officers were “pinned” with their law enforcement badges by their families.
In a surprise move, Houde called out Ely police officer Christian Deinhammer for his recent life-saving efforts last fall when he responded to a 911 dispatch for an overdose situation.
On Oct. 30, 2021, Officer Deinhammer was dispatched to a medical emergency at a residence in Ely where a 30-year-old man was unconscious and not breathing.
“With little information to go on, Officer Deinhammer responded and quickly assessed the scene, determining that the patient was suffering from an opiate overdose,” Houde said.
He administered Narcan and performed CPR techniques until medical personnel arrived.
“Officer Deinhammer administered a second dose of Narcan and simultaneously updated dispatch officers,” Houde related. “After the second dose, the patient regained a pulse. At this time more emergency responders arrived, and Officer Deinhammer remained directly involved in treating the patient. A third dose of Narcan was administered and still there was no response from the patient. He administered a fourth dose and the patient finally regained consciousness.”
Fighting back his emotions in relating the story, Houde added, “Throughout this entire incident, Officer Deinhammer remained cool and calm under pressure. Because of his quick response, recognition of the medical emergency and life-saving efforts administered without question, this person is alive today. Officer Deinhammer exemplifies the finest qualities and attributes of what a peace officer stands for and he is one of the finest officers I have ever had the honor to work with. Officer Deinhammer is a true hero and I am proud to have him as a member of our department.”
Chief Houde thanked Deinhammer and requested the council to add a letter of commendation to his personal employment file. Officer Deinhammer was presented with a plaque of recognition and received a special uniform pin recognizing the honor.
Other responders, including the Ely Area Ambulance Service, first responders, Ely Fire Chief and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department were also recognized for their contributions to the medical emergency.
“We had more than one here that night,” Houde said.
Deinhammer, clearly taken aback by all the attention, simply said. “Thank you to the city of Ely for giving me the opportunity to work here. The training I received helped me to perform my duty.”